Associations Between Work-Family Conflict and Self-esteem and Depression of Married Working Men

Abstract

Work-family balance is difficult not only for women but also for married working men because their role in housework child care has become as important as their traditional role as the breadwinner. Also, with the growing number of working elderly men, the challenge of balancing work and family can be a difficult issue for the young and old alike. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the association between work-family conflict and depression among married working men in middle- and old-age groups using separate structural equation models for each. In addition, the mediation effect of self-esteem on the above association was also examined. We used a nationally representative sample from the 2014 Korea Welfare Panel Study (KOWEPS). The result showed that work-family conflict had significant effects on depression among married working men. Self-esteem partially mediated the association between work-family conflict and depression among middle-aged men, while this association was fully mediated by self-esteem among elderly men. Our findings suggest that active support policy for men"s work-family balance is needed, and the intervention strategy should be developed considering age group differences.